February 2009 Scrub Jay Newsletter Audubon of Martin County

8/9/2019 February 2009 Scrub Jay Newsletter Audubon of Martin County

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Non-profit

Organization

U.S. Postage Paid

Permit #57

Stuart FL 34995

Audubon ofMartin County

621 SE Palm Beach Road, Stuart FL 34994

Florida Scrub-Jay Art Logo

By Brian Sylvester

Office hours are generally 10 am2pm

Monday through Friday.

Please call ahead at 772.288.2637

2nd Annual Photography Contest

All entries will be judged on how well they express the natural environment of Florida. There isa $5 fee for each entry into the Photography Contest. All entries should be works completed

from January 1, 2008 through March 1, 2009. Awards will not be given in any category thathas less than 4 entries . Competition categories include: A) Flora, B) Fauna, C) Wildlife -

Really Close up, and D) General Landscape.

For a Complete Set of Rules and entry forms go to www.audubonmartincounty.orgor you maycall the AoMC offices at 772-288-2637 to request a set of rules and entry forms. For specificquestion, contact Laurie Odlum, AoMC President, via e-mail to [email protected] with PhotoContest in the title.

Mark Your Calenda

February 2009

13 Advanced Birding 5 session Bird IDContact AoMC to sign up

19 Program Meeting Natural History

Equador with Rudy Gelis.

21 Field TripGreen Cay and WakoWetlands in PBC. Meet at Knight7:00 a.m.

March 200914 Growth Management Forum19 Program Meeting, Rt 714 Scenic 21 Field TripRt 714 Scenic Highw

Allapattah Flats. Meet @ Knightsat 7:30 a.m.

27-29 (Fri-Sun) Audubon Academy,

April 200911 Birdathoncontact Laurie at 22316 Program Meeting, A Birders

Journal with Marta Gordon 18 Field Trip to Everglades S

Knights of Columbus at 7:00 am25 Annual Picnic, Volunteer & Stude

Awards.

Program Meeting: Thursday, February 19

Rudy Gelis will continue our program series theme of birding in exoticbirding locations in the Americas. Rudyis an ornithologist and is co-author ofPlumas: Birds in Ecuador. He will talk about theNatural His-tory of Birds in Ecuador. Ecuador is about the size of Colorado yet nearly1600 species of birds have been recorded here.Over the years, he has amassed a wonderfulcollection of extraordinary photographs usedin this talk that provides a brief introduction towhat birds do for a li ving in Ecuador.

The talk is based around high quality bird photos, plus anecdotal storiesfrom several years of leading bird and natural history tours and studyingbird behavior in Ecuador and Peru. It briefly touches on natural historytopics such as mixed species flocking, endangered and endemic species,nesting and foraging behavior, and biogeography-distribution. Hundredsof hours were spent in the field traveling all over this beautiful country insearch of the most breathtaking plumages as well as rare and endangeredspecies. Rudy has enjoyed birds and the natural world since childhood.He moved to Ecuador after graduating from Berea College, Kentucky and

being awarded a prestigious Watson Fellowship in 1997.NEW Meeting Location:

The meeting room at the Martin County Extension Office at 2614 SEDixie Highway. Yes, during the day. Hospitality-11:00 a.m., Program-

11:30 a.m. (bring a bag lunch) Look for our sandwich board on Dixie.

Field Trip : Saturday February 21 Field Trip to

Green Cay and Wakodahatchee Wetlands

These wetlands are manmade wetlands used to clean water from thewater treatment plant in the City of Delray Beach. There are great photoopportunities from the meandering boardwalk where we can get withinfeet of numerous waterfowl and waders. We were lucky enough on ourlast trip to see Black-bellied Whistling Ducks and some very cute Moor-hen chicks. Limpkins, Green Herons and nesting Great Blue Herons are

just some of the expected sightings along with the circling raptors. Treeswallows and various terns are also frequent visitors.

Green Cay Nature Center is Palm Beach County's newest nature centerthat overlooks 100 acres of constructed wetland and provides educationalopportunities about this unique habitat. The wetland features 1.5 miles ofelevated boardwalk featuring interpretive signs about the habitat. TheNature Center includes a lecture hall, gift shop, and live animals i n an ex-tensive exhibit room that highlights wetland attributes.

It will take about an hour to drive to the wetlands; we will carpool to thelocation. Meet at Knights of Columbus ready to leave at 7:00 am.

audubonmartincounty.org 772-288-2637

February 2009

Source: Wikipedia.com
http://www.audubonmartincounty.org/http://www.audubonmartincounty.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.audubonmartincounty.org/


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Board Members 2008-2009

Executive Director Greg Braun

561-575-2028

OTHER IMPORTANT COMMITTEE CHAIRS

AUDUBON HOUSE DOCENTS

Clare-Rue Morgan, George Mirka, Beverly Poppke,

Ed Fisher, Carol Coyne

Open board seats:

Contact Laurie Odlum or Greg Braun

A copy of the official registration and financial information may beobtained from the division of Consumer Services toll-free within Florida

800.435.7352. Registration does not imply endorsement,

approval, or recommendation by the state.

The Scrub Jay is published seven times a year on

recycled content paper with soy-based ink.

Message from our President~~~ Laurie Odlum

When was the last time you stood outside at

night at your home, looked up and saw the Milky

Way? You would be hard pressed to see the

Milky Way even from a boat in Lake O. The

lights from the cities on both coasts create a light

ceiling blotting out the starry night lights. That

glow is erasing the beauty of a slivered new

moon glowing in the early evening or the streaks

of meteors or star showers. A s a child I could

watch Sputnik cross the sky from standing in my

back yard. It is amazing, humbling and frustrating all at once when yourealize the vast amount of energy expended in lighting the night and cre-

ating one of the most visible and easily resolved problems we have today.

Light pollution!

Light pollution is largely the result of bad lighting design, allowing

artificial light to shine outward and upward into the sky, where it's not

wanted, instead of focusing it downward, where it is wanted. Ill-designed

lighting washes out the darkness of night and radically alters light

rhythmsto which many forms of life, including ourselves, have

adapted. Altered light rhythms affect many aspects of life such as

migration, reproduction, and feeding. The domes of reflected, refracted

light, and scattering rays from over lit cities and suburbs, from light-

flooded highways and factories have markedly altered our circadian

rhythms and cycles.

We've grown so used to this pervasive glow that the original glory of an

unlit nightdark enough for the planet Venus to throw shadows on

Earthis wholly beyond our experience, beyond memory almost. And

yet above the city's pale ceiling lies the rest of the universe, utterly undi-

minished by the light we wastea bright shoal of stars and planets and

galaxies, shining in seemingly infinite darkness.

This primal darkness lit by a soft grey glow of stars and moon provides

the proper guidance for our night migrating songbirds, hawks, and some

larger birds, such as the secretive rails and the American woodcock, and

most small insect-eating birds such as wrens, most thrushes, kinglets,

vireos, wood warblers, tanagers, buntings, orioles and most sparrows.

Studies have confirmed that night-migratory birds seem to have a brain

area specifically adapted for seeing during their night-time flight. This

brain region could be involved in processing and integrating light-

dependent magnetic compass information and star compass information;

and thus may be responsible for the impressive navigational abilities of

birds migrating during the night. B irds, like moths, are attracted to light

at night, and if they become disoriented, will fly in circles around the

lights in a tall building, often hitting the building, or dropping exhausted

to the ground. Birds start their night migrations soon after dark; their

numbers are greatest between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m., with the maximum

numbers of birds observed between 11 p.m. and midnight.

Provide a safer environment for all; humans, birds, bats and turtles.

Turn off the lights! Turn down the lights! Fix the lights! Reduce theenergy used to light the night. Turn on the stars and the moon. Allow the

nights gentle light to show the way. Lets give these incredible birds the

chance to travel, undisturbed or distracted by our excessive lighting, on

their yearly travels and be able to live by their natural rhythms. Its up to

you.

For information on the Canadian night migration safety program go to the

FLAP program at: www.flap.org

President Laurie Odlum 772-486-2837

Vice-Pres Volunteer Needed

Treasurer Bob Gordon 772-546-2206

Secretary, Recording Joan Bausch 772-219-8285

Conservation Bob Matheson 772-283-5999

Education Volunteer Needed

Field Trips Beverly Poppke 772-286-0061

Resource Development Doug Warns 772-462-3751

Membership Curt Wood 772-546-5435

Programs Ed Fielding 772-288-2622

Properties Jim Kearman 772-708-0677

Public Relations Tom McNicholas 772-219-1719

Nature Center Susan Smyth 772-692-3489

Newsletter Editor Lisa Fiore 772-528-9707

Wildlife Center Dan Martinelli 772-286-6200

Water Resources Patrick Hayes 561-747-6397

Youth Liaison Jessie Green 772-283-3024

Garden Club Liaison Louise White 772-283-4416

IRL & Speakers Bureau Bill Hudspeth 561-667-5123

Eaglewatch Liaison Clare-Rue Morgan 772-286-9833

Librarian Bev Poppke 772-286-0061

Cranewatch Coordinator Pam Hopkins 772-408-6153

Cranewatch Co-coordinator Carol Spinney 772-545-7987

Jaywatch Coordinator Pam Hopkins 772-408-6158

Jaywatch Co-coordinator Clare-Rue Morgan 772-286-9833

Christmas Bird Count Liz Hailman 561-746-7293

Webmaster Ed Fisher [email protected]

Contact your U.S. Senators in Washington DC

at the following numbers:

Senator Mel Martinez: 202.224.3051

Senator Bill Nelson: 202.224.5274

Birds of the MonthConfusing White Waders

By Susan Whiting

Bird watching along boardwalks or the

edge of a marsh can be very rewarding.

Long legged waders are common there and

usually are easily identified. There are,

however, a group of long legged birds all

of which are white that can present an

identification challenge. Four of these

birds are common in this area, one uncom-

mon and oneaccidental. An

accidental

means the bird

has been seen

in the area but

is out of place.

It is a resident

of places

south, north or

west of us or

maybe even

from another

country across the sea.The largest of these l ong legged waders

is the Great White Heron, which is a whiteversion of the Great Blue Heron and is anaccidental since it is seen primarily in the

Florida Keys. This heron has only beenspotted in Martin County a couple oftimes. It may be more common than wethink because we might have overlooked itthinking it was a Great Egret. The GreatWhite Heron has buffy-gray legs while theGreat Egret has jet black legs. The bill onthe former is heavier and stouter than thatof the Great Egret although both are a yel-low-orange.

The Reddish Egret is an uncommon bird

in this area. Normally it is has a reddish

head and neck and slate blue-gray back

and belly. But, just to mess up every-

thing, the Reddish Egret has what is

called a white morph. That means it i s all

white. To tell it from the Great White

Heron and the Great Egret you must look

to see if the bird in question has blue-gray

legs and a two toned bill-pink at the base

and black at the tip. So it is easy to make

identification with the unique bill color?

Not really, because as a juvenile the Red-

dish Egret has an all blue-gray bill.

The Snowy Egret is smaller than either

the Great White Heron or the Great Egret,

but that size difference is hard to tell if

the others arentaround for com-

parison. How does

the Snowy Egret

differ from its

larger cousins?

The Snowy has

black legs and

yellow slippers

(feet) and a black

bill as an adult.

Piece of cake ID?

Not so fast, as an

immature bird the Snowy Egret has legs

that are yellow-green on front and blackish

on the back, but they still wear the yellow

slippers. And to make identification even

more challenging, the bills on the imma-

ture Snowy Egrets can be two toned, blackon top mandible and pale horn color on the

bottom mandible.

Next there is another strange quirk of

nature. The Little Blue Heron feathers are

all slatey blue-gray as an adult and boasts a

two toned blue bill with a black tip. But as

an immature bird, the feathers are all

white. What are the field marks that differ-

entiate this heron from all the others de-

scribed here? The Little Blue Heron has

distinctly green legs and always has a

two-toned bill, light blue at the base and

b

y

w

t

t

v

t

adult plumage.

Finally there is one other s

bird often seen further uplan

others. This is the Cattle Eg

short yellow bill and all blac

the immature can fool you. I

bill and black legs, but no ye

So are you totally confuse

main point is that these birds

except for their size; bill and

what, at first glance, one use

the species at which you are

you learn to tell these lovely

waders apart, their behavior

you clues. Take some time th

you are birding in the heron

habitats to figure out which l

wader you are seeing.

Cranewatch

Springtime means our local sandhill cranes are now transitioningfrom incubating to chick-rearing mode. Soon therell be gangly cranechicks following their parents to foraging areas, which, for the birds in

our urban areas, often means that crane families will be meanderingroadside swales, wetland edges, golf courses and other short-grass prai-rie habitats. If youd like to help monitor a local crane family, give us a

call at the AoMC office.

Great White Heron

Great Egret

Little Blue Heron WPhoto Courtesy ofF

Photo Courtesy of Greg Braun Photo Courtes
http://finertyphoto.com/http://finertyphoto.com/


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EagleWatchEaglewatchers are reporting hatchlings at most of the

nests we monitor, and were pleased to have added a cou-

ple new nests to our monitoring network this year. Our

thanks to the South Florida Water Management District for

permitting AoMC Eaglewatcher Bill Borger to access one

of their new properties in western Martin County for t he

purpose of checking on a nest. So far it appears that 2009

will be a good nesting season for our local population of

eagles. If the eaglets make it through their next 2 months,

their likelihood of survival is much better. If youd like to

join AoMCs Eaglewatch team, give Clare -Rue Morgan a

call at 772-286-9833

Our thanks to Liz and JackHailman and all who par-ticipated in last monthsChristmas Bird Count.Data are still being com-piled, and we hope to have

a summary in next months newsletter and posted on ourwebsite, but overall were appreciative of the support andinvolvement in this activity by our members and the commu-nity.

Having now conducted the Stuart CBC for several decades,weve compiled an extensive history of local bird popula-tions.

Were also appreciative of the work of Randy Porch tocoordinate AoMC members access to Boy Scout CampTanah Keeta as part of the Jonathan Dickinson CBC. Wereworking with the scouts to develop a more complete inven-tory of the flora and fauna on their 850+ -acre property, andparticipating in the CBC is a great way to become in-volved. The CBC four-person team counted 36 species on abeautiful winter day at Camp Tanah Keeta. Thank you BoyScouts!

To check the posted results of any CBC in t he country,check National Audubons CBC webpage:http://www.audubon.org/Bird/cbc/

Osprey Nesting Season

Theres also good news regarding the osprey nest site near AzaleaSt in the northern part of Martin County . The osprey nesting plat-form that AoMC installed in 2008 (t hanks to the help of Dan and SueRoberts, Captain Phill Sherman, Barbara Milner and the many donorswho contributed to the project) is being used by t he local pair of os-preys. The platform can be seen when looking south from the westernend of Azalea St (off Britt Rd west of US1). The birds have beennamed Brenda and Mark in recognition of the willingness of the prop-erty owners to have the platform installed on their property. Stop bysometime and take a look!

It is also lookinglike it will be a

successful nestingseason for Ozzieand Harriettheospreys that nest atRio Nature Park .Thank You Sponsors !

General FundIrwin Goldberg

Carolyn KnutsonWilliam H Moore

Jean ShinnersLaura F DoerrIrvin Goldberg

Terry ClarkInara & Robert W Ledden

Mrs Richard FoxwellJohn & Hope Reese

Carmine Greco

Roseate Spoonbill

Carolyn KnutsonJean ShinnersLaura Doerr

Endowment FundWilliam H Moore

Photo Courtesy of

Captain Sherman

Christmas Bird Count

To the left is a typical 30

mile diameter count cir-

cle divided into count

areas. Each smaller

count area is covered by

a designated count team.

Teams give their data to

the count circle compiler

for verification and data

compilation.

On Saturday, November 29th, a few dozen intrepid wildlifeobservers from Hendry County and other disparate points trav-eled to a remote and dusty section of sugar cane country. Wewent to see a remarkable piece of Everglades restoration in pro-gress, south of Clewiston. What we saw surprised many of us in

ways we had not imagined.The area we went to has the ungracious name of STA-5, stand-

ing for Stormwater Treatment Area #5. In short, this is a fairlylarge area of 2 square miles, reclaimed from sugar cane produc-tion, flooded and managed to maintain a defined water level, andreplanted with a defined set of plants. Outwardly this area looks

like nothing more than what is I just described; it was a broadopen area, with occasional islands of vegetation, and with shal-low water ( 6 deep in most places). This is, quite literally, whatthis Everglades ecotype was supposed to be. This is what themuch-lauded Glades Restoration weve all heard about wassupposed to do. More than a few people remarked that when you

re-create the ecologicalconditions of an Ever-glades ecotype like aflooded marsh, youll getthis amazing result. Wesaw something over 50species of birds in just 2square miles of isolatedmarsh. We were able to seeone of the rarest reptiles in

Florida, an Eastern Indigo Snake, close enough to see clearly, andnot just one, but 2, shamelessly mating while we watched. Thiswas all the more amazing given that Indigo Snakes are famouslyreclusive, and tend to hide in rather heavy forested areas.

This little patch of reclaimed cane field showed clearly that arestoration program can work. In short order, this tiny square ofreclaimed farmland had attracted a stunning selection of wildlifeincluding otters, shorebirds, wading birds, raptors, a small bliz-zard of varied insects, and the myriad creatures that are associ-ated with this ecotype. In a few hours, many of the seasoned andstoic birders had seen a number of lifers i.e. birds you alwayswanted to see once in your lifetime. For instance, its hardenough to see Great White Herons at all, much lesstwo of them in sight of each other. You could spendyears trying to see a Snail Kite up close, yet a fe-male sat quietly in a small tree just off a gravelroad, a dozen yards away. Right in front of this daz-zled crowd, we watched a Peregrine Falcon makeseveral ground level strafing runs on a flock ofcoots, putting any Air Force fighter pilot to shamewith his impressive speed and high-G turns. This

patch of restoration success was heartening. Imag-ine what a few dozen of these patches could create?What if these patches were created next to eachother, without roads separating them? How much

wildlife could this foster?Weve all heard the iconic River of Grass term.

Do we really understand what it means? Or howmany parts are involved in making this living sys-tem work? So many people Ive talked to donthave a clear understanding of how complicated this

natural system is, how profound itsimpacts are upon our daily lives, orhow its loss will change our climate.This small square of wetland plants, setin a shallow flooded plain, defineswhat the River of Grass is all about.The Everglades is a very shallow river,embedded with vast amounts of tallgrass, through which the water flowsvery slowly. This shallow, slow rivermakes the fresh water upon which 2/3

of our state depends for our drinkingwater, recreational water, and weather. If the wattracts so many people to our state, why wouldn protect the resource that largely drives the weatplace?

STA-5 is one of many success stories of restoratThere are far more gone wrong stories. There stories of politicians wrestling a victory to the groing it under bureaucracy. This field trip is one should take to see what were all fighting for, anfuss is about. As author Michael Grunwald said inSwamp, The Everglades is a test. If we pass, we g planet. (a retreaded version of Marjorie Stonstatement upon the opening of the Everglades 1947.)

In our own daily lives, the Everglades is the cauour State started, from whence we get our daily weather machine which has drawn us here. We canvery easily, even without a crystal ball. The view oFlorida is present-day California. National Geograan excellent article about 20 years ago stating chilliidas crises are about 20 years behind those of Caover water, natural area degradation, unrestricted mad real-estate dash for immediate wealth, rachanges, rampant pollution and a cold view of p

all part of Californias history.Wait a minute: this sounds familiar.sho

A Remarkable Visit to Everglades Restoration in ProgressGuest writerCraig Morell

Scissorta

Photo Cou

Joan Kam

Ph

Photo by Craig Morell
http://www.audubon.org/Bird/cbc/http://www.audubon.org/Bird/cbc/http://www.audubon.org/Bird/cbc/


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Field Trip Report

Viera Wetlands

A brisk Northerly wind and temps

in the very low 50s did not deter the

4 car caravan of avid birders from

taking the 1 1/2 hour drive to the

Viera Wetlandswest off I-95 Exit

191 on Wickham Road just behind

the Water Utilities building.

The Sighting of the Trip was 2

Audubons Caracaras in a pine tree

performing early mating rituals and

then observed carrying nesting mate-rials into a cabbage palm. There was

also nest building and early nuptials

being performed by 2 pairs of Great

Blue Herons and several Anhinga

pairs. I know some of us plan a return

trip soon to see how the nests are

going. We were frequently enter-

tained with 5 or 6 flyovers by a pair

of Bald Eagles and a couple of juve-

niles. One Bald Eagle in full voice

landed on one of the tall electric

transmission towers! There is still

some discussion about some of the

identifications: was it a Ring-necked

Duck or immature Lesser Scaup; was

it an American Bittern or Little Green

Heron. Just to show that you never

have enough eyes or equipment onmoving targets that are also too far

away.

Here is the complete

bird list:

American BitternAmerican Kestrel

AnhingaBald Eagle

Belted KingfisherBlack Vulture

Blue-winged TealBoat-tailed Grackle

Cattle EgretCommon GrackleCommon Moorhen

Coopers HawkCrested Caracara

Double-crested CormorantEastern Phoebe

Glossy Ibis

Great Blue HeronGreat Egret

Green HeronHooded Merganser

KilldeerLesser Scaup

LimpkinAmerican Coot

Little Blue HeronLoggerhead Shrike

Mottled DuckNorthern Harrier

Northern Mockingbird

OspreyPalm Warbler

Pied-Billed GrebeRed-bellied Woodpecker

Red-shouldered HawkRed-winged Blackbird

Sandhill CraneSnowy Egret

Tricolored HeronTurkey Vulture

White IbisWood Stork

Non-bird species:

American AlligatorGulf Fritillary

River OtterZebra Longwing

Hi! Im Jessica, Junior Board Member of the Audubon Soci-ety of Martin County. You can remember me as AnimalLover. Im a big volunteer when it comes to wild life. Thismonth, I chose the scrub jay as my topic because of the title of

this magazine. I have listed s ome very interesting facts aboutthis bird. The scrub jay is usually about 11 inches long andweighs 2.5 to 3 ounces. The scrub jay is a very unique crea-ture with beautiful colors. It has a black beak, a blue head, awhitish forehead, blue wings, grayish under parts, a gray back,a long blue tail, and black legs and feet. Some of its favoritefoods are acorns, seeds, peanuts, and insects. The scrub jay isan extremely intelligent species. They do not fear peopleunless someone does something to terrorize them. They willeven take nuts from people's hands and lips. However, it is

illegal to feed a scrub jay in Florida. You may not know this,but birds help trees grow. How? Birds spread the seeds whenthey eat them, so the seeds fall to the ground, dirt covers themand then the tree or plant begins to grow. Every creature has a

special purpose in life. Some dobig things some do small things,but in the end, it all makes a dif-ference.

Photo Courtesy of Marta Gordon

www.animalpicturesarchive.com

Birgit AgerNancy AllenStacei AnkromPatricia BarlowBeverly BartelJane Blatt-GubermanRoberta BleierLuann BolnickBrian & Barbara Bols

Abe BreckenridgeWilliam H. BrinkmanBetty BurgesserRuth BurrBertha CainNancy CarrMargot ChrystieJanet ChurchCathy Cleveland-Lewis

Nancy DannerScott DavisLee DesjarlaisCarole Norton DingmanSusan DoumaCarlyn DrewyorD. DuboisMelissa DuboisJean Ferreira

John FordM. W. ForsytheB. FriendrichArlene GaluaciLynn GardinerRebecca GooseySarah GosneyDebbie GreenbaumBetsy GundersonDiane Hagerich

Nancy HamiltonCristine HancoxLeslie B. HanlonFrances HannaJoe HarperPeggy InduAlan & Linda JaffeJohn L. JamesWilliam James

Maurice R. JohnsSusanna KenersonMrs. Robert LaneyKathryn ListerMaureen LongoC. M. MaldonadoSusan MarraBlanche S. McGowanPaula MorrisRobert W. Neumann

Marilyn NolanMary NoorianCarol OmearaJohn OstlerElizabeth G. ParmenBetty ParmentierJune ParrilliMrs. R. PontynenNancy Read

Danelle RobertsLin RobertsonRaenelle S. RobinsonR. SchaefferHenry J. SchnitzerMrs. SchuermanLarry & Katharine SennMary SharpeDebby SharrowElizabeth Smith

Mary A. SMichelle SJulie StellmJoanne SwVirginia DSusan TorAlyssa VaRufus WaGeneva W

Mrs. BrenJennifer WLewis WhJean WilliMaryann WSharon WiJodi WinteMichelle ZMark Zok

Welcome New Members!

Conservation Corner

Were pleased to be working with Martin County on a project through which were learning more about the numbers

preferred habitats of piping plovers. As those of you have participated in winter piping plover surveys in the past certa

these hard-to-find little shorebirds prefer calm sandy beaches and tidal flats while they are wintering in our

area. In surveys completed to date, weve found a maximum number of 12,

and we suspect that the tidal shoals between the St. Lucie Inlet and the

Crossroads, and the sandy beaches in the vicinity of the inlet are most heav-

ily used. We have yet to find a banded plover, so figuring out numbers and

locations is a challenge. We expect to go on several more excursions, and

wed like more eyes looking for them. If youve got a couple free half-days

and youd like to participate well supply the boat please call Greg Braun

at 561-758-3417.

Advanced Bird ID Course

Theres still time to sign up for our once eachyear offering of the Bird Identification Course.Each class consists of a) a + 1-2 hour morningbird-walk at a premier local birding hot spot; 2) a+ 2-hour classroom session and 3) a field excur-sion to a birding hot-spot. The cost for all fivesessions is $65 per person ($55 for Audubonmembers). Since seating is limited, call theAudubon office (772)-288-2637 now for moreinformation and to signup. Send your registration

check to AoMC to secureyour seat.

Bring your field guide, binoculars and a pack

lunch to all sessions.

CondolencesAoMC send our best wishes to the family and frie

Terry Clark, who passed away recently. Terry becvolved with AoMC through our Cranewatch progra

her love of animals and her desire to become moreprotecting a family of cranes that lived near her hoAoMC and Terry benefited by her participation in tidentification course and other AoMC activities.

P

(a

3ar

b

ea

fused with sanderlings (left upper bird).

size and sand-color make them well-cam

beaches and tidal flats.

Please see your favorite Bird ID refer

detail on these great birds.

Photos Courtesy of Greg Braun


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Help Wanted

Are you concerned about Sea Level rise and its effect on Florida? Learn and share at the same time by

becoming our Climate Change activist a volunteerwilling to be Audubon of Martin Countys go-to person on climate change.

Burning For Birdsby Jim Kearman

If you were in Martin County in late

November, you may have seen huge

clouds of white smoke billowing up from

Seabranch State Park. Yes, the park was

burningon purpose! Prescribed burning

(formerly called controlled burning) is a

common practice on natural lands.

Growing up in the 1950s, I often heard

Smoky the Bear say Only you can pre-

vent forest fires! In those days, we

thought all fires in natural areas were

banned. Land managers took pains tosuppress fires. The unfortunate result was

an over accumulation of flammable scrub

and litter. When a fire eventually broke

out, the consequences were often tragic.

Even if we could prevent all

fires, doing so is ecologically

unsound. Before Europeans

arrived in North America, fires

were commonplace, especially

in Florida. With its high fre-

quency of thunderstorms, Flor-

ida's woods and wetlands

burned every one to five years.

If fire destroys, how does it

help wildlife? Actually, under

natural or natural-imitating con-

ditions, fire does not destroy.

Our native plants evolved in Florida's

fire-rich environment. The bark of slash

pines, common to South Florida, flakes

off when exposed to low-intensity fire,

and its layers protect the cambium from

damage. Our native grasses often delay

their summer blooms until a fire sweeps

across the land. Without fire, palmetto

and woody shrubs overwhelm the

grasses.

The mid-story of a natural pine flat-

wood is open. Between the low grasses

and occasional palmetto plants and the

canopy there is plenty of open space for

birds to fly, hidden from sight of hawks

and falcons by the canopy. Open spaces

on the ground provide room for seed eat-

ers and ground-nesting birds. Without

regular fires, those spaces fill up and the

pine woods are in a less healthy condi-

tion.

When fire is suppressed, the midstory

plants grow tall. When a fire does ignite,

it carries the flames into the canopy, of-

ten killing the pines. Even if the canopy

survives, the higher intensity fire, due to

the increased fuel load, may scorch-kill

the trees and even damage their root sys-

tems.

Prescribed burning mimics natural

fires. Care is taken to li mit flame height

and fire intensity, and to keep the firewithin prescribed limits. Before a fire is

lit, a state-certified technician inspects

the site. Potentially dangerous fuel loads,

such as tall palmettos, may be mechani-

cally removed. The geographic limits of

the fire are determined, and a prescription

is written and forwarded to the U.S. For-

estry Department for approval. The pre-

scription states the meteorological condi-

tions (wind speed and direction, humid-

ity) under which the specific area can be

burned, and other related information.

When the burn is approved, the site must

then be prepared with plow lines around

the site, to act as fire breaks.

On the day of the fire, a trained crew

lights back fires downwind and along the

sides of the area, to further extend the fire

break. When those fires have burned out,

the main fire is lit. Where a large area is

to be burned, it may be divided into

smaller strips, each of which is burned

separately. This technique prevents the

fire from becoming too intense.

Burning usually starts in late morning

when the wind has calmed, and fires are

planned to be finished by early afternoon.

An early finish gives the crew time to

monitor the site, to ensure the fire is com-

pletely out.

Within a few days of a fire, grasses will

begin to sprout. Animals and birds will

start returning to their old haunts. By the

next season, a new habitat is in place.

Prescribed fires are usually conducted in

the summer wet season. One reason isthat they are easier to manage when the

ground and foliage are damp. But there's

a positive impact on the environment,

too. Grasses burned during the growing

season will usually bloom and go to seed

during the same growing season, thus

enhancing recovery. Palmetto and woody

plants, which tend to take over an area

when fire is suppressed, are held back

when burned in the growing season. Win-

ter, dry-season burning has the opposite

effect. Palmetto is favored and grasses

are discouraged.

AoMC's 280-acre preserve on Citrus

Boulevard, west of Palm City, has not

burned for many years. Palmettos and

woody plants clog the pine woods, and

are invading the wetland. Next summer,budgetary constraints permitting, we

hope to conduct a prescribed fire on the

property. If we can afford it, and the birds

hope we can, we'll post information on

the chapter Website. Your financial sup-

port for our property management pro-

jects on this property would be very wel-

come.

Jim Kearman joined the AoMC Boardof Directors as Properties Chair in Sep-tember 2008. A Master Naturalist, Jim

recently completed a course in

Managing Habitat for Diversity,taught by The Nature Conservancy at the

Disney Nature Preserve in Kissimmee.Jim is a year-round resident of Stuart.

Photo Courtesy of The University of Missouri

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our programs, projects and conservati

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Select your sponsorship level:O Scrub Jay

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Attn. Treasurer

621 SE Palm Beach Road, Stuar

In addition to the basic membership,you can become an AoMC sponsor.Sponsorship provides funding for pro-grams, projects, field trips andAoMCs important conservation work.

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a certificate of appreciation.

$ 100 Roseate SpoonbillRecognition in each Scrub Jay , a

certificate of appreciation, an AoMC

t-shirt and one complementary member-

ship for a person of your choice.

$ 250 Wood StorkSpoonbill benefits plus one copy of the

Sibley Field Guide to Birds and a lunch-

eon briefing with the AoMC President

and Executive Director.

$ 500 OspreyWood Stork benefits plus a natural

history tour led by an AoMC Board

member to the nesting colony at Bird

Island in the Indian River Lagoon.

$ 1000 Bald EagleOsprey benefits plus a natural history

tour led by an AoMC Board member to a

local birding destination of your choice.

$ 5000 and more Scrub JayBald Eagle benefits plus a natural history

tour led by an AoMC Board member to

Everglades National Park, Merritt Island

National Wildlife Refuge, Ding Darling

National Wildlife Refuge or Arthur Mar-shall Loxahatchee NWR.

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Attn: Membership

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Chapter Code: 7Ch

AoMC welcomes Hobe Sound resident Debbie Clark as our new Land Stewardship Coordinator. Ifshe hasnt contacted you already, shell be doing so in the near future. Were not soliciting donationsalthough they are much appreciatedwere looking for warm bodies that are willing to spend a fewhours each month helping at property work days. Many hands make light work, and were using theprogress weve made at Possum Long as our spring -board for providing some tender loving care toour other properties. Many of our new members may not be aware that AoMC owns hundreds of

acres of preserved land throughout the County.One of our infrequently-visited properties is a several acre wetland preserve in the Palm City

neighborhood of Maplewood . Weve owned it for decades, and it has been serving its purpose wellas a wildlife preserve amid an increasingly urban area. Debbie is working with AoMC propertieschair Jim Kearman to schedule and conduct work parties at this and other AoMC sites. Some of thework is roll-up-your-shirtsleeves manual labor, but were also developing flora and fauna lists andother less rigorous work. If youd like to help, please give Debbie a call at the AoMC office. Theschedule of work days, including locations and times is posted on our web site Audubonmartin-county.org.
http://audubonmartincounty.org/http://audubonmartincounty.org/http://audubonmartincounty.org/http://audubonmartincounty.org/http://audubonmartincounty.org/

Documents

February 2009 Scrub Jay Newsletter Audubon of Martin County